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N0. 6|0,627. I I Patented Sept. I3,' "898. J. B. HARRISON.

MANUFACTURE OF FELT HATS.

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N0.-6l0,627. Patented Sept. I3, I898.

J., B. HARRISON.

MANUFACTURE OF FELT HATS.

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No. 610,627. Patented Sept l3, I898.

' J. B. HARRISUN.

MANUFACTURE OF FELT HATS.

(Application filed Dec. 29, 1897.)

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m Hil W3 4 I x WlTNESSES' O INVENTOR fi wwza. n: if g y W 'brim, andfinally to finish the under side of UlTlED Arne JOSEPH BANOROFTHARRISON, or STOOKPORT, ENGLAND.-

MANUFACTURE .OF FELT HATS.

I SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 610,627, datedSeptember 13, 1898.

Application filed December 29, 1897. Serial No. 66414.70. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOSEPH BANoRoFr HARe RISON, a subject of the Queenof Great Britain, residing at Stockport, in the county of Chester,England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in theManufacture of Felt Hats, of which the following is a specification.

Hitherto in the manufacture of felt hats it has been customary to firstfinish the crown or body of the hat, then to finish the upper side ofthe brim, then to steam and curl the the brim. In the steaming of thebrim it has not been thought necessary to in any way protect the brim,but to apply the steam all over both sides of the brim. This applicationof the steam to the whole surface of the brim is not required for thepurpose of curling and is positively detrimental or injurious to thebrim by opening the felt and destroy ing the luster and appearance ofthefinished side and rendering the other side more difficult to finish, inaddition to which it is much more difficult to finish the brim onaccount of the arch than when fiat before curling. There has also beenthe liability of the steam penetrating to the finished crown or body andinjuring it. I find that much better results can be obtained and a muchbetter finish can be imparted to the brim, especially to the under side,which is much more exposed to view, by first finishing both sides of thebrim when in a perfectly fiat state and protecting the brim both top andbottom from the action of the steam and applying steam and softeningmerely to the extreme edge to which the curl is to be given.

The invention willbe fully described with reference to the accompanyingdrawings, in which as examples two forms of machine suitable for theprocess are illustrated.

Figure l'is a sectional elevation showing the machine I prefer toemploy; Fig. 2, a side elevation, enlarged, of block for receiving thehat; Fig. 3, a plan of same; Fig. 4: a sectional elevation; Fig. 4, amodified arrangement of steaming apparatus; Fig. 5, a front elevation ofa modified form of machine; Fig. 6, atransverse sectional elevation ofsame; Fig. 7, a plan of plate for protecting the under side of the brim.

In carrying out the invention I take the hat after the crown or body hasbeen finished in the usual way and I completely finish the brim while inthe fiat state. This may be done by hand or preferably in a machine bywhich both sides of the brim are smoothed and finished at one operation,and I then steam and curl the edge of the brim while the remainder ofthe brim is protected from the action of the steam which is applied tothe edge. A block or shape A is prepared of the desired form to receivethe hat, upon the upper curved edge a of which the under side of thebrim rests, and a pad B or plate 0 is applied with a considerable amountof pressure to the under side of the brim to hold it tightly compressedto theblock and prevent the penetration of steam to either side, theedge of the brim being drawn tightly into the groove (1 of the block bya string D to give the desired amount of curl, and steam is brought intocontact with the edge all around to soften it and cause it to set to thecurl. In the machine shown inFigs. 1 to l the block A is set upon plateE, suspended or held supported by weights WV and chains to a shortdistance above a fixed bench or table F. Around the block A isfitted acover or shield G, whioh is fixed to the bench F by the brackets g. Theshield G may be of sheetiron or other suitable material, and thebrackets 9 may be of angle-iron or otherwise constructed. In theinterior of the cover or shield G is placed a band or ring H of rubberor other flexible material to form a steam-tight joint around the blockA when it is in position and yet permit of the block being freely liftedin and out. Around the interior of the cover or shield G is placed asteam-pipe K with a number of holes orperforations through which thesteam-jets issue to impinge upon the edge of the brim. A tap or valveadmits steam to the perforated pipe K. A lever L is connected to thesuspendedplate E, which acts upon the lever Z of the tap 7t and opens iteach time the plate E is depressed, allowing the steam to pass throughand issue from the perforations. A pad B of sufiicient weight issuspended over the apparatus,which when the hat is in position on theblock A is lowered onto it, giving the desired pressure to protect thehat-brim and at the same time pressing down the hat-block A andsuspended plate E until the latter rests upon the rigid bench F. Thisaction brings the edge of the pad 13 down upon the edge of the shield Gto prevent the escape of steam around it and forms a steam-chamberaround the edge of the brim and at the same time opens the tap 7t forthe admission of steam. The lifting of the pad B when the operation ofsteaming is completed reverses the operations, shutting off the steamand allowing the plate E and block A to be raised by the weights W, sothat the block and hat can be removed and replaced. The pad 13 ispreferably made of textile or other flexible material filled with sandor other material which will retain a considerable degree of heat for alengthened period. Behind the steaming apparatus is a plate or box M,heated with steam or otherwise, upon which the pad B is placed when outof use to heat it or maintain the heat of it to the desired degree. Thepad B is raised and lowered by a pedal N and cord or chain 02, passingover pulleys. One pad B may serve two machines or' a separate pad may beprovided for each.

The invention may be carried out in any suitable form of machine bymeans of which the pressure can be applied to the brim and the brim beprotected while the edge is being steamed and softened. Instead ofplacing the block A on a suspended plate E it may be placed direct uponthe bench F, surrounded by a shield G, forming a steam-chamber with asteam-pipe K, as shown in Fig. 4. The hat-block A may be set upon arigid support, as in Figs. 5 and 6, and the steam be applied from a pipewithout being inclosed. In Figs. 5 and (3 the hat-block rests upon thesupporting-platform P, which is capable of being moved to and fro on theframe R. The pad B is formed of a water cushion filled with hot water,and the desired pressure is applied by the screw S, the frame R beingraised and lowered by the cams r, operated by a lever r to bring theblock A into contact with the pad B, the steam being applied to the edgethrough the perforated pipe K, connected to a flexible supply-pipe 7c.The tap 7c is turned off and on by hand, as required to admit or checkthe flow of steam. Instead of a flexible pad B, which adapts itself tothe curved surface of the hat-block A, a shaped plate 0, Fig. 7, may beemployed to give the desired amount of pressure to and protect the brimwhen on the block A.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to protect by Letters Patent,is-

1. A machine for curling the brims of felt hats comprising a loose blockA for the hat a suspended platform upon which the block rests a shieldinclosing the block to prevent the escape of steam, a flexible band toform a joint around the block a perforated steampipe to supply jets ofsteam to the edge of the brim and a pad to apply pressure to and protectthe edge of the brim during the operation of steaming substantially asdescribed.

2. In a machine for curling the brims of hats the combination with theblock A and perforated steam-pipe K to apply steam to the extreme edgeof the hat brim of the suspended plate E upon which the hat-block rests,the weights W and chains 10 by which the plate is suspended, the shieldG surrounding the block to prevent escape'of steam, the flexible ring IIto form'a steam-tight joint around the hat-block below the steam-pipe,the tap it on the steam-pipe the lever L at tached to the plate E bywhich the steam-tap is turned off and on by the rise and fall of theplate E and the heated flexible pad B forming a cover which incloses theupper side of the hat-brim and depresses the hat-block Aand plate Ethereby forming a steam-chamher around the hat-block and turning on thesteam-tap substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOSEPH BANOROFT HARRISON.

Witnesses:

J. OWDEN OBRIEN, R. OWENDALE.

